Cavalier Mk2 Memories
Discussion
I am sure some of you will be of a certain age to have just got your licences when these hit the road in the UK and another thread got me digging out the old rose tinted specs.
So for those that owned or drove them what did you think or was driven in them, what model(s) did you get behind the wheel of, how did it stack up performance wise, did you hate them or love them, etc?
My introduction to the "Cav" was by chance. A mates brother in law had one as a company car - this was 1988 so the Cavs had been out for a couple of years but the 98 version was a facelift and looked all the better for it.
It was badged just "Cavalier GL" and under the bonnet you got a 1.6 motor. This was on an E plate and it was a 4 door with nice deep front bumper apron as standard. I think this vintage was carb fed but the run out models of the Mk2 1.6 may well have got fuel injection. Anyway my mate would often be given the keys to this Cav every other Friday or Saturday night to drop his bro in law off at some drinking hostelry about 8pm and then he would have to pick him up from wherever he was at midnight - 1am. The tank was always brimmed courtesy of the company. So my mate would drop his B-I-L off and we would then just spend the rest of the night aimlessly driving around eating twixes, walkers crisps, mars bars etc and listening to our own Memorex C60 and C90 pre-recorded cassettes on the standard fit radio/cassette player
Highlights of the first evening we had the car would be beating other cars off the lights in this modern quiet rep mobile. I was also allowed to drive it too and we had a right blast. Bear in mind this was 1988 and there was plenty of bangers still on the roads. Once we got to Tamworth and in the lane next to us was a MK5 Cortina 2.3Ghia - the driver of the Ford tried to pounce off the lights but my buddy behind the wheel of the cav just left him for dust. It would easily sit at 110mph on the motorway too. I actually liked the soft velour trim and dash with its large speedo and rev counter and the adjustable steering wheel. We couldnt get over the power of the car for a 1.6 and I think from that first night on I was kind of hooked on Cavaliers. I was coming from a classic mini 850cc banger. A couple of years later my mate bought what would have been an old D reg Cavalier pre-facelift (1986) 5dr hatch but this was the GLi and the "i" was a whole new ballgame. It brought fuel injection and plenty of kudos with our mates.
Power was 112bhp with similar torque from the 1.8 motor. It had the same characteristic as the lesser 1.6 in that from the 4000rpm it really began to pull nice and strong. Lovely engines.
My mate moved on and ended up buying his Cav GLi and the fund continued for about a year. It then went into the garage to have the brakes renewed and unfortunately somebody crashed into it when the mechanic was out on a test drive. Dont feel sorry for me - the insurance company gave me a corking pay out on that car.
I had another mate who started with a B reg (1985) Mk2 1.6L hatch. Seriously lacking on the rev counter front and it was toilet green but he drove that car like Schumy. Everywhere. This was back in the days when it seemed kind of cool/kind of boy racerish to pull out of T junctions with maximum wheelspin. We were young then and full of silly driving habits like that.....anyway I met him a few years later when stuck in traffic - he was stuck going the other way and was in the car opposite me! I recognised the face, bibbed the horn and so guess what was he was driving now? Ha....Another Mk2 Cavalier SRi 130 - think this was on an E reg and it was really smart looking red up top and black. Grey lower bodysides with the skirts and rear spoiler on the hatch. Back then an animal and I think it would still be pretty quick in todays traffic TBH.
Equivalent Ford Sierras stood no chance. The 1.6 Sierra was a waste of time. The 1.8 was rated at 90bhp I think so a closer match to a 1.6 Cav but still a tad slower off the line. Never really raced a 2.0 or the 2.0i Sierra
Cavaliers......yes those the days.
So for those that owned or drove them what did you think or was driven in them, what model(s) did you get behind the wheel of, how did it stack up performance wise, did you hate them or love them, etc?
My introduction to the "Cav" was by chance. A mates brother in law had one as a company car - this was 1988 so the Cavs had been out for a couple of years but the 98 version was a facelift and looked all the better for it.
It was badged just "Cavalier GL" and under the bonnet you got a 1.6 motor. This was on an E plate and it was a 4 door with nice deep front bumper apron as standard. I think this vintage was carb fed but the run out models of the Mk2 1.6 may well have got fuel injection. Anyway my mate would often be given the keys to this Cav every other Friday or Saturday night to drop his bro in law off at some drinking hostelry about 8pm and then he would have to pick him up from wherever he was at midnight - 1am. The tank was always brimmed courtesy of the company. So my mate would drop his B-I-L off and we would then just spend the rest of the night aimlessly driving around eating twixes, walkers crisps, mars bars etc and listening to our own Memorex C60 and C90 pre-recorded cassettes on the standard fit radio/cassette player
Highlights of the first evening we had the car would be beating other cars off the lights in this modern quiet rep mobile. I was also allowed to drive it too and we had a right blast. Bear in mind this was 1988 and there was plenty of bangers still on the roads. Once we got to Tamworth and in the lane next to us was a MK5 Cortina 2.3Ghia - the driver of the Ford tried to pounce off the lights but my buddy behind the wheel of the cav just left him for dust. It would easily sit at 110mph on the motorway too. I actually liked the soft velour trim and dash with its large speedo and rev counter and the adjustable steering wheel. We couldnt get over the power of the car for a 1.6 and I think from that first night on I was kind of hooked on Cavaliers. I was coming from a classic mini 850cc banger. A couple of years later my mate bought what would have been an old D reg Cavalier pre-facelift (1986) 5dr hatch but this was the GLi and the "i" was a whole new ballgame. It brought fuel injection and plenty of kudos with our mates.
Power was 112bhp with similar torque from the 1.8 motor. It had the same characteristic as the lesser 1.6 in that from the 4000rpm it really began to pull nice and strong. Lovely engines.
My mate moved on and ended up buying his Cav GLi and the fund continued for about a year. It then went into the garage to have the brakes renewed and unfortunately somebody crashed into it when the mechanic was out on a test drive. Dont feel sorry for me - the insurance company gave me a corking pay out on that car.
I had another mate who started with a B reg (1985) Mk2 1.6L hatch. Seriously lacking on the rev counter front and it was toilet green but he drove that car like Schumy. Everywhere. This was back in the days when it seemed kind of cool/kind of boy racerish to pull out of T junctions with maximum wheelspin. We were young then and full of silly driving habits like that.....anyway I met him a few years later when stuck in traffic - he was stuck going the other way and was in the car opposite me! I recognised the face, bibbed the horn and so guess what was he was driving now? Ha....Another Mk2 Cavalier SRi 130 - think this was on an E reg and it was really smart looking red up top and black. Grey lower bodysides with the skirts and rear spoiler on the hatch. Back then an animal and I think it would still be pretty quick in todays traffic TBH.
Equivalent Ford Sierras stood no chance. The 1.6 Sierra was a waste of time. The 1.8 was rated at 90bhp I think so a closer match to a 1.6 Cav but still a tad slower off the line. Never really raced a 2.0 or the 2.0i Sierra
Cavaliers......yes those the days.
Some good reads there on Cavs and some of the pics really bring back the memories. The blue D reg facelift looks very nice - i wonder how many in the photos have survived?
The Cavalier 2.0i Calibre on an F plate looks in great condition. Did any Cavs get more than 130bhp I wonder from the factory? I cant recall any higher powered versions than the SRi 130 and Calibre versions.
I do recall the Mk2 shape LX and LXi on the 1988 facelifts - they were rather attractive specials. Seem to remember they had electric mirrors and manual windows or was it the other way around?
Who remembers the early pre-facelift Mk2 "Commander"? Awful. I dont think the Club or Antibes were much better. Back then manufacturers were quite good at applying a set of terrible side stripes and a passenger door mirror or a fog light, then calling it a "special edition".
The SRi advert states "4 speaker radio cassette" - I remember back then to have 4 speakers was the dogs danglies
The Cavalier 2.0i Calibre on an F plate looks in great condition. Did any Cavs get more than 130bhp I wonder from the factory? I cant recall any higher powered versions than the SRi 130 and Calibre versions.
I do recall the Mk2 shape LX and LXi on the 1988 facelifts - they were rather attractive specials. Seem to remember they had electric mirrors and manual windows or was it the other way around?
Who remembers the early pre-facelift Mk2 "Commander"? Awful. I dont think the Club or Antibes were much better. Back then manufacturers were quite good at applying a set of terrible side stripes and a passenger door mirror or a fog light, then calling it a "special edition".
The SRi advert states "4 speaker radio cassette" - I remember back then to have 4 speakers was the dogs danglies
Oft forgotten were the steathly and well equipped 1.8GLSi and 2.0GLSi models.dont think they were made as long as the regular GLi's
The CDs were nice too.
dont recall the power advantage of the end of line 2.0i over the 1.8i- was it 3bhp ? 112hp vs 115hp .
I thought the 130hp 2.0i was reserved for the top sri and calibre.
The CDs were nice too.
dont recall the power advantage of the end of line 2.0i over the 1.8i- was it 3bhp ? 112hp vs 115hp .
I thought the 130hp 2.0i was reserved for the top sri and calibre.
Some great pics being posted of the "Cavs" - keep them coming and the stories
Another thing you can say about the Cavalier that you couldnt say about its competitors is this - I have never heard anybody referring to the Sierra other than "Sierra" (unless it was a Cosworth which meant most knew it was a Sierra anyway) and the Montego as anything other than a "Montego". Did anybody refer to them as "Si's" or "Monties"? Doubt it.
I quite the like the abreviation that quickly developed ie; "Cav"
Many a camping trip was made in the early 1990s and the question came up whose car we taking? Lets take the "Cav".
Another thing you can say about the Cavalier that you couldnt say about its competitors is this - I have never heard anybody referring to the Sierra other than "Sierra" (unless it was a Cosworth which meant most knew it was a Sierra anyway) and the Montego as anything other than a "Montego". Did anybody refer to them as "Si's" or "Monties"? Doubt it.
I quite the like the abreviation that quickly developed ie; "Cav"
Many a camping trip was made in the early 1990s and the question came up whose car we taking? Lets take the "Cav".
Ive been looking at Mk2s now on ebay too!
That SRi certainly isnt stock is it? It could still be the real deal but if is then its lost some of the original features as mentioned earlier. I cant imagine anybody applying 130 decals to the front doors and tailgate. Youve got to be desperate to do that just to try and fool a few poeple and surely than VIN number should come back as a 130? I always ask a seller now for the V5 reference number to check a cars MOT history on the VOSA website so that should also be useful to buyers. The LX wheels do it no favours nor the lack of side skirts. I see bids are over £1,200 though so its not putting many off.
Whilst browsing ebay I looked up some Vauxhall brochures for the Cav and the prices are unbelievable! £18 plus P&P for a brochure of the LX/LXi versions (probably consists of just 2 pages) even the full standard range brochure is £14. I would have bought one to go down memory lane with but not at those prices! Plenty of watchers on them too so still lots of fans of the Mk2 out there......
If anyone has a brochure what were the various outputs and figures?
That SRi certainly isnt stock is it? It could still be the real deal but if is then its lost some of the original features as mentioned earlier. I cant imagine anybody applying 130 decals to the front doors and tailgate. Youve got to be desperate to do that just to try and fool a few poeple and surely than VIN number should come back as a 130? I always ask a seller now for the V5 reference number to check a cars MOT history on the VOSA website so that should also be useful to buyers. The LX wheels do it no favours nor the lack of side skirts. I see bids are over £1,200 though so its not putting many off.
Whilst browsing ebay I looked up some Vauxhall brochures for the Cav and the prices are unbelievable! £18 plus P&P for a brochure of the LX/LXi versions (probably consists of just 2 pages) even the full standard range brochure is £14. I would have bought one to go down memory lane with but not at those prices! Plenty of watchers on them too so still lots of fans of the Mk2 out there......
If anyone has a brochure what were the various outputs and figures?
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